Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Canadian Women: Contingent Workers
Despite many gains made in the past four decades, women’s employment remains concentrated in contingent work.
Using the broadest definition, contingent work is part-time, contract, and temporary work. Typically it is work that is non-secure, lower wage, and rarely has benefits and/or pension plans.
In 2004, Statistics Canada reported that over 2 million employed Canadian women - 27% of the total workforce - were part-time employees, compared with just 11% of employed men. A quarter of all women part-time workers said they wanted full-time employment, but could only find part-time work.
Moreover, income levels for women have remained, on average, considerably lower than men’s and this situation does not appear to be improving. According to a 2001 report on gender inequality in Canada by Karen Hadley, women’s incomes were found to be astonishingly low. Fifty per cent of women in Canada in 1998 had after-tax incomes ranging from zero to $13,786 and only 11% of women had after-tax incomes over $32,367. Aboriginal women, disabled women and racialized women fared even worse.
Contingent work has long-term impacts, for individuals and for society. More than 40% of Canadian women over 65 who are single, divorced or widowed, are also poor, and 65% of people collecting public pensions are women. This problem is not simply historic: presently, almost two-thirds of women under 65 do not have workplace pension plans, and this is mainly due to contingent employment.
Training and educating women so that they can secure long-term, well paid employment is good for everyone. It strengthens Canada’s position in the global economy, expands the tax base, develops flexible labour pools, and promotes the immediate and long-term health and wealth of families and communities.
Read more about women and contingent work in these resources:
Putting Women in the Picture: a Portrait of Current Training and Employment Policy for Women in Ontario, briefing paper from ACTEW, 2006
http://actew.org/projects/current/PWP_briefingpaper.pdf
We Still Ain't Satisfied: Gender Inequality in Canada, report by Dr. Karen Hadley, 2001
http://www.socialjustice.org/pdfs/stillnotsatisfied.zip
Women and Poverty, fact sheet from CRIAW, 2005
http://www.criaw-icref.ca/factSheets/Women%20and%20Poverty/Women%20&%20Poverty%202005.pdf
Pensions in Canada: Policy Reform because Women Matter, Women Elders In Action (WE*ACT), 2005
fact sheet
http://www.411seniors.bc.ca/PDF%20Files/WEACT_PositionPaperEnglLetter.pdf
position paper
http://www.vcn.bc.ca/411/PDF%20Files/Final%20Position%20Paper.pdf
Statistics Canada. Women in Canada: A Gender-based Statistical Report, 5th edition, Ottawa, March 2006
http://www.statcan.ca/english/freepub/89-503-XIE/0010589-503-XIE.pdf
Using the broadest definition, contingent work is part-time, contract, and temporary work. Typically it is work that is non-secure, lower wage, and rarely has benefits and/or pension plans.
In 2004, Statistics Canada reported that over 2 million employed Canadian women - 27% of the total workforce - were part-time employees, compared with just 11% of employed men. A quarter of all women part-time workers said they wanted full-time employment, but could only find part-time work.
Moreover, income levels for women have remained, on average, considerably lower than men’s and this situation does not appear to be improving. According to a 2001 report on gender inequality in Canada by Karen Hadley, women’s incomes were found to be astonishingly low. Fifty per cent of women in Canada in 1998 had after-tax incomes ranging from zero to $13,786 and only 11% of women had after-tax incomes over $32,367. Aboriginal women, disabled women and racialized women fared even worse.
Contingent work has long-term impacts, for individuals and for society. More than 40% of Canadian women over 65 who are single, divorced or widowed, are also poor, and 65% of people collecting public pensions are women. This problem is not simply historic: presently, almost two-thirds of women under 65 do not have workplace pension plans, and this is mainly due to contingent employment.
Training and educating women so that they can secure long-term, well paid employment is good for everyone. It strengthens Canada’s position in the global economy, expands the tax base, develops flexible labour pools, and promotes the immediate and long-term health and wealth of families and communities.
Read more about women and contingent work in these resources:
Putting Women in the Picture: a Portrait of Current Training and Employment Policy for Women in Ontario, briefing paper from ACTEW, 2006
http://actew.org/projects/current/PWP_briefingpaper.pdf
We Still Ain't Satisfied: Gender Inequality in Canada, report by Dr. Karen Hadley, 2001
http://www.socialjustice.org/pdfs/stillnotsatisfied.zip
Women and Poverty, fact sheet from CRIAW, 2005
http://www.criaw-icref.ca/factSheets/Women%20and%20Poverty/Women%20&%20Poverty%202005.pdf
Pensions in Canada: Policy Reform because Women Matter, Women Elders In Action (WE*ACT), 2005
fact sheet
http://www.411seniors.bc.ca/PDF%20Files/WEACT_PositionPaperEnglLetter.pdf
position paper
http://www.vcn.bc.ca/411/PDF%20Files/Final%20Position%20Paper.pdf
Statistics Canada. Women in Canada: A Gender-based Statistical Report, 5th edition, Ottawa, March 2006
http://www.statcan.ca/english/freepub/89-503-XIE/0010589-503-XIE.pdf
Labels: Issues_and_Trends
